Close Calls
by Smokey Joe
Summary: Sound returned before sight and sight before understanding. Spoilers for 2x24. DL


Disclaimer: I own nothing. All elements of CSI: NY are the property of CBS.

Summary:Sound returned before sight and sight before understanding. Spoliers for episode 2x24. DL

Please Review when you're done.SJ

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Lindsay would always remember how normal the day had seemed. She'd spent both Friday and Saturday night at Danny's apartment and was in the kitchen "helping" Danny make breakfast, even though it was nearly noon, when the call from Mac had come in. Lindsay had apologized and Danny had smiled, kissed her and called her Montana, and handed her one of her favorite power bar flavors, a flavor she knew he detested. Later, when she was worrying over Danny's safety it would strike her that he kept them there for her and she would feel a rush of affection for the man, but that day she'd had only enough time to give him a quick kiss and promise to meet him at her apartment for dinner later than night. A twenty minute drive in her company issued Tahoe found her in the middle of a block party. Flack met her at the door and the two went through their usual teasing until they reached the dead body and Mac. The transition from playful banter to business was seamless, happening almost within the same breath. It was pure coincidence that she wasn't in the building when it exploded, something she still felt guilty over. Lindsay would never forget the way her stomach dropped when she got the call from Mac alerting her to the situation inside the building. She'd cleared the sidewalk to the best of her ability, all the while wondering where the hell Mac and Flack were, praying that they would be the next faces she would see emerging from the building. When retelling the story to Danny late at night while wrapped in the comfort and safety of his arms and her blankets she would tell him that she didn't know what made her stop and stare at the stone structure. Something within her knew that Mac and Flack weren't coming out of the building, that she wasn't going to see them whole again for a very long time, but a moment later she was flying through the air and thought ceased.

Sound returned before sight and sight before understanding. She could hear car alarms and sirens and voices crying out in pain and fear, all of it muted, as though she had cotton in her ears. Eyes opening Lindsay's gaze met with the clear blue sky marred only by some wisps of gray black smoke and it took her a minute to understand that she was on her back looking up. With some difficulty she found her way to her feet, legs shaking like the newborn foals back home in Montana. That thought brought a picture of Danny's face to her mind and she wished like hell that he was there with her, even if it was just so she could hear his voice. Knowing that there was no time to be caught up in her wishes Lindsay flipped open her cell phone, she'd managed to keep a vice grip on it even through the explosion, and made the necessary calls that would bring in the proper authorities. That was how Stella found her, phone pressed to her ear as she called through the wires to her mentor. Stella, ever the nurturing presence of the crime lab, focused on Lindsay first, doing a thorough visual once over, before dealing with the explosion and their missing colleagues. She could tell Danny was worried before he said anything; it was the change in his stance that tipped her off, the way that he leaned in towards her without really realizing it. When she finally met his eyes he was an open book to her, as she was to him she was sure. He wanted to hold her, make sure every inch of her was all right. They settled with him going off with Hawkes to find Mac and Don, he could at least help to allay one of her fears.

Though she was not at all happy about it, Lindsay allowed the paramedics to take her to the hospital. It was only after she'd been sitting in a curtained off area of the emergency room that she began to feel any pain. Her back throbbed in several places, her joints feeling as though they were rubbing one another raw, and her head was shooting off bursts of pain in varying intensities in time with her heartbeat. When she was finally released it was with a caution to take it easy, some pain meds that would probably make her head fuzzy, and an ice pack for her head. Lindsay had no intention of actually using the meds, she wouldn't be able to work if she took them and the pain wasn't _that _bad, and she could take it easy sifting through evidence at the lab. A cab ride found her back in the lab, creating simulations with Hawkes and rebuilding pieces of the phone from inside Don's body. She'd been relieved when the doctors had informed her of the discovery of her friends, but concern won out over her other emotions knowing that Don was still seriously injured. Her mind kept circling back to just a few hours earlier when they'd been cracking jokes on their way to a crime scene. Having something to focus on was helping Lindsay get her balance back, but she still found herself wishing that she could see Danny again. He'd become a stabilizing force in her life and she was badly in need of stability just then.

When he finally did return to the lab he searched Lindsay out right away. She was working on freeing the damaged SIM card from the even more destroyed phone, her patience waning. The muscles in her back were beginning to protest the fact that she had been in the same position for nearly an hour and that she still hadn't taken one of the pills the ER doctor had given her. He'd stood in the doorway just watching her work for a minute, reassuring himself that she was there and real and, most importantly, alive. Don's injury had thrown him for quite a loop and Lindsay being involved in the same incident was really trying his emotional reserves. She felt his eyes on her and turned, offering up a small, exhausted smile, one that he echoed. She turned back to her work, knowing that he would come and help her with it, that he would want to be close to her. Neither one of them were comfortable with overt displays of affection in the workplace, but Danny's knee pressed firmly against hers, radiating warmth and comfort, as he took a seat next to her was enough to help her get back at least a little of the balance she'd lost in the blast. Their conversation stayed close to the topic of the SIM card, the only deviation being an affirmation from Lindsay that the doctor in the ER had given her a clean bill of health. By the time Danny was pulled away by a call from Mac they were both feeling a little less fragile.

The day dragged on, everyone at the lab growing ever tenser as they got closer and closer to figuring out who was behind the bombing; when it was finally over Lindsay felt as though a ten pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She met Danny in front of the hospital with Hawkes and together they made their way up to check on Don. Lindsay drifted towards the window, wanting to see with her own eyes that her friend was all right. Danny was close behind, hating the fact that when he was in a room with Lindsay he couldn't seem to stay more than five feet from her. Reassured that Don's outlook was brighter than what they thought it would be Danny turned to Lindsay and together they made their way down to Danny's car, Lindsay's having been nearly destroyed in the blast. The drive home was made in silence, Danny driving left handed so that his right was free to twine with the fingers of Lindsay's left. The walk up the three flights of stairs to Lindsay's apartment were slow, Danny's hand cupping Lindsay's elbow in support, and though she hated to admit it she wasn't sure that she would have made it up the stairs under her own power.

Once the door was closed and locked for the night Danny turned to Lindsay, dropping his duffel bag to her living room floor.

"Come here," he beckoned spreading his arms. Lindsay moved into them and for the first time all day felt something like peace settle over her. Danny was careful of her back, keeping his grip firm but not so tight as to cause pain.

"Can we just go to bed and stay there for a few days?" Lindsay asked, her words muffled by Danny's shirt. She felt the rumbled of his chuckle more than she heard it.

"Yeah, Montana, I like the sound of that." They made their way to her bedroom, Danny's arm draped loosely over her shoulders. It was easy to get out of her pants but when Lindsay got to her shirt the muscles in her back screamed in protest. She hadn't thought she'd made any sound but suddenly Danny was before her, hands on her half raised arms saying, "Easy, Montana." Though it grated on her independence she allowed Danny to help her out of the garment.

"I- I need to see, Lindsay." Danny said when Lindsay made a move to slip into her night shirt, one of Danny's old practice jerseys, without turning around. Lindsay sighed. She knew all it would do was upset him and really, she was okay. It wasn't anything a hot shower and some Advil wouldn't cure.

"Danny, really. . ." she began before he cut her off.

"I saw the tape, Lindsay. The security tape from the café right across from the building that exploded. The tapes caught the whole thing. I saw you get thrown like you were nothing but a rag doll. Please, just- I just. Please, Linds." He was struggling not to let his emotions get the best of him and she had to give him credit that he hadn't lost it yet. She wasn't sure she would have been so stable had she been in his position. She turned and allowed him to see the damage to her back. She hadn't had an opportunity to examine the damage herself, but the ER doctors had told her she was going to have some impressive bruises to go with the few scrapes she had. Behind her she heard Danny inhale sharply and give a soft, "Christ." Lindsay's back was almost one whole bruise. Near her shoulder blades was almost black where she'd taken the hardest hit off the curb, while her lower back was a rainbow of blue, purple, and green.

"Really, Danny," she reassured. "I'm okay. The doctors gave me some strong drugs but I really think I'll be okay with Advil." Danny snorted in response and tried not to let the tears that were threatening him win out. He took a steadying breath and reminded himself that she was okay.

"Montana, take the drugs the docs gave you, all right. Once you've done that I'm gonna massage your back, you're strung tighter than a bow." His tone left no room for argument and really, that sounded pretty nice to Lindsay at the moment. Once she'd taken one of her pills she lay down on her bed, clad only in her bra and a pair of sweat pants, and waited while Danny found some lotion. His hands were warm on her cool skin and in no time Lindsay felt like she was floating. Danny's hands worked gently but thoroughly to work out all of the knots that had been making her life hell for the past few hours, occasionally placing a kiss on a particularly nasty bruise.

"Danny?" Lindsay asked later that night after Danny had helped her into a shirt and they'd both settled into comfortable positions. She was laying on her stomach, Danny laying on his side facing her.

"Hm?"

"Do you think Don will be okay?" Danny opened his eyes and propped his head up on his hand, his other hand moving to touch her face and hair.

"Docs sounded optimistic enough. I guess time will tell." Lindsay nodded reveling in the feeling of Danny's hands in her hair, running over her head as though he were stroking a cat.

"I was so scared today." She confessed softly, so softly Danny wasn't sure that she'd spoken at all.

"That makes two of us. We got the 1033 and I think my heart stopped. Stella and Hawkes wouldn't let me drive." Lindsay smiled softly and Danny felt his heart catch. God how she affected him.

"That'd because you may be the worst driver that had ever lived, Danny." He smiled broadly and leaned in to kiss her, the urge too powerful to resist. She returned the embrace and, chaste as it was, she thought it might have been the most passionate, sexiest kiss she'd ever received.

"I think I just might be in love with you, Miss Monroe." Danny breathed when they'd parted.

"That's okay, Mr. Messer. I think I just might be in love with you too." Lindsay replied leaning in for another kiss. That was the important thing. Danny thought to himself later that night after Lindsay had long since fallen asleep, the soft brush of her breaths comforting as they slipped across his chest. They'd gotten luck today, that was without question, but they were together. She was there, safe in the curl of his arms and Danny was starting to think that maybe everything would be all right.

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A/N: I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's been awhile since I've written **anything** and I guess this is the getting back on the horse thing. Please let me know what you think. Thanks in advance.SJ


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